FO Friday

Finally I have an FO. Can't remember if it's the first this year.

Taken by Mr. Shaky Hands at sun down in his geri chair.  Those are his feets.

The back.

 It's not blocked yet.  But good enough for an FO at the moment.

The particulars: Yarn is merino/angora/silk that I dyed then spun into a light 3 ply fingering weight.  Yardage unknown.  Knit from the top down in a pattern I made up as I went along.  Started I think sometime in January.

The sleeve. I did one pattern repeat of the lace bottom then finished with seed stitch border.

If you don't care to comment about the following I'm about to type, please at least comment on the sweater.

It never ends here at man, I don't know what to call it.  If I don't have enough on my plate, my master bathroom is leaking from the fan and the light switch outlet.  This is the third or fourth leak from somewhere since we moved here a year ago and I'm just sick of it.

The place is a mess since I haven't been home much in two months.  I was just starting to take some longer time at home to clean up.  Now, I'm going to be invaded with rude maintenance workers.

Did you hear that?  The awful sound that made your hair stand on end.  That was me, mentally screaming.


As far as himself.  He unfroze his shoulders last weekend, himself.  I can't make fun of him any more and call him tyrano rex or help me, I'm a short arm person and can't do anything.  It's all in fun.  He used to make fun of me when my legs would give and I would be in the middle of the floor in a heap like a ragdoll.  Crying doesn't help, might as well joke about it.

Today, he was able to sit up on the side of the bed for 3 minutes before his oxygen started desating.  The respiratory people have been turning his oxygen down to wean him, meanwhile PT and OT can't do much that causes any exerertion.  RT came up with the brilliant idea that maybe they should turn his oxygen up when he does his PT/OT.  (rolls eyes)  It reminds me of the ICU days when pulmonary would try to turn his oxygen down during dialysis then wonder why he had a bad reaction.

Basically, it's a long slow process of his lungs needing to heal and for him to build up his strength.  He lost almost 70 lbs from February 16 to April 1, so it's no wonder it's going to take awhile.  He needs to build the muscle in his diaphragm and lungs.  He lost one third of his body weight.

Bootsie calls him every night to talk when I get home.  She literally sits in my lap and listens on the phone and mrows to him when he finishes speaking.  "I'm coming home soon, Bootsie."  Mroow   "I'll be there to pet you soon." Mrooow Mrooow  "Are you being good?" Mrooooow  It's funny as hell.

It doesn't look like he'll be home for my birthday, next week.  It's a good thing I stopped celebrating years ago.  The last day of the month is always the end of the money and just before the next months rent is due.  I just gave up a long time ago. With as unorganized as things are, I think even if we had an Easter Sunday miracle and he rose from his bed and walked to the doorway, it would still take them a couple weeks to work on a discharge.

I want to thank those of you who contributed to helping me.  I really can't thank you enough. You can't imagine my relief and tears of joy when I saw I had enough to pay the internet and phone bill.  I'm just amazed and so grateful to those of you who have stuck by me during this overly stressful time.  It would have been hard to make it this far without you all there encouraging me.

I look back and as unimaginably stressful  it has all been, I can't think of doing it any differently.  I don't really think I've done anything all that extraordinary.  It needed to be done and I just try to take one day at a time and get through it.  I'm currently reading  Can't Wait to Get to Heaven: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle) just before I go to sleep.  There is a paragraph that talks about Elner Shimfizzle, the main character and how during the Depression her husband was in bed with TB for two years and she got up every morning at 4:30 and plowed their field, took care of the farm and fed half the neighborhood to keep them all alive.  She didn't think it was extraordinary to do that, it just needed to be done, so she did it.

I just love Fanny Flagg's books about Elmwood Springs.  When I read them, I always hope I become more like Elner as I get older.  In reality my life reads like Dot Whooten. But, I guess there is a part of me like Elner, after all.  If you have read those books, then you know what I mean about Dot Whooten.  If you haven't read them, I highly suggest getting Standing in the Rainbow.  They are a very well written, light-hearted read. Her characters are just so full of life. Makes wish I could go there and have a cup of coffee and piece of cake with Neighbor Dorothy.

I was planning on listing stuff on Artfire to help buy pet food and personal items (you know tp and that week of the month stuff).  But I just don't know how messed up my weekend will be with this damn leak going on. I'm going to start with stuff I've needed to get rid of (it's good stuff, but I just won't ever use it) then work my way up, to the I'd like to keep it, but won't be heart broken to sell it and hopefully, I won't have to dip into the I'm heartbroken to sell it stuff.  D was amazed that I made his last partial paycheck last over 7 weeks.  I've been that frugal.

If you would like to contribute to the pet food fund, there's the donation button on my sidebar.  You don't know how absolutely sick it makes me feel to have to do that.  Or you can' e-mail me for my address.

I've decided I'm giving it till May 10th to see where he is at in his progression.  By then I will know if the state's long term care is approved.  Hopefully, he can sit up longer and stand to a walker.  If it looks like he will be there much longer, I will have to look for a job. Just pray the insurance goes through and they accept me to be his paid caregiver at home.

I did apply for him for SSD/SSI.  It was part of the process I had to do for the application for the long term care.  If he's still in the nursing home and SS approves him, the state will only let him keep $100.00 a month, they will take the rest.

Half my life is playing a waiting game while the other half of it unapologetically marches forward, with added bumps just for entertainment.

I have been trying to read your blogs when my brain can think straight.  Just the other day, I poured a cup of coffee, looked at my sink full of dishes, thought about how I should get those washed up, then picked up the dish soap and squirted a nice big dollop, yes, right in my cup of coffee.  I just looked at the bottle in my hand and my coffee and laughed hysterically.  Good thing I noticed what I had done before I drank it.

Thank you for stopping by.  Thank you if you can and want to help me.  If you can't or don't want to, that's really ok too.  Please comment on my sweater if you don't want to comment on anything else.